Paperback

Based on interviews with Stan Lee and dozens of his colleagues and contemporaries, as well as extensive archival research, this book provides a professional history, an appreciation, and a critical exploration of the face of Marvel Comics. Recognized as a dazzling writer, a skilled editor, a relentless self-promoter, a credit hog, and a huckster, Stan Lee rose from his humble beginnings to ride the wave of the 1940s comic books boom and witness the current motion picture madness and comic industry woes. Included is a complete examination of the rise of Marvel Comics, Lee’s work in the years of postwar prosperity, and his efforts in the 1960s to revitalize the medium after it had grown stale.

Industry Reviews

""Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of American Comic Book is an insightful examination of a publishing phenomenon that has become an integral part of pop culture. It offers keen insights on how the industry has risen, fallen, survived, and teetered on the edge of extinction. And it illuminates the role Lee played in a long-running drama every bit as compelling as those depicted between the garish covers of Marvel Comics." --L.D. Meagher, "CNN.com

"Raphael and Spurgeon's celebration of [Stan Lee's] career is a pleasure to read and an inspiration for would-be superheroes everywhere." --Gregory McNamee, Hollywood Reporter"Will probably stand as the definitive history of this particular slice of American popular culture." --Kirkus Reviews